Rope-climbing device.



1. LWESTAD.' ROPE GLIMBING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED APRA?, 1910.

Patented Fem, 1911.

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I. J.. WBSTAD. ROPE CLIMBING DEVICE. APPLIOATIQH FILED APB.. 14, 19.10.

Patented Feb. 7, .1911.

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FFCE@ IVER J'. WESTAD, OF FLAMING, MINNESOTA. i

Born-CLIMBING nevron To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, lvnn J. Vns'rAD, a citizen of th-e United States, residing at Flaming, in the county of Norman and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rope- Climbing Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its especial object to provide an improved rope climbing device and, in its preferred form, comprises two pairs of pivotally connected levers, one pair thereof to be operated by the hands and the other pair thereof adapted to be operated by the feet.

To the above ends, the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and detined in the claim.

in the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a View in side elevation of a pair of the improved devices applied to a rope, with some parts broken away and with other parts shown in section; Fig. 2 is a plan view of one of the devices with the applied rope shown in section, Fig. 8 is a view in side elevation, with some parts sectioned, on the line als of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a detail view showing the inner end portion of the socalled grip levers pivotally connected, .and with some parts shown in section and Fig. 5 is a view corresponding to Fig. 2 but with some parts broken away, and with some parts shown in sections.

rihe numeral l indicates a portion of a suspended rope, which may be secured to a suitable support, not shown. To the rope 1, as shown, is applied a pair of the improved grips, vertically spaced one above the other, and each comprising a pair of levers 2 and 3 connected by means of separable interlocking pivot joints. llhe upper rope grip is adapted to be operated by the hands while the body is supported by standing on the lower rope grip, and the lower rope grip is adapted to be operated by the feet while the body is suspended from the upper rope grip. Both pairs of rope grips are identical, one with the other, with the exception that the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 14, 1910.

Patented Feb. 7, 1911.

Serial No. 555,429.

grip, which is to be operated by the feet, has secured, to its levers 2 and 3, upwardly eX- tended loops 4 and 5, respectively. These loops are preferably made of leather and are of such size as to closely tit over the feet when standing on the levers 2 and 8. Each lever 2 and 3, at its pivotally connected end, terminates in a bifurcated head 6 and 7, respectively. The prongs of the bifurcated head G are of such width as to closely t,

and work between, the prongs of the bifurcated head Z and are provided, on their outer surface, with oppositely projecting short trunnions 8. rlhe prongs of the bifurcated head 7 are provided, on their inner surfaces, with L-shaped channel slots 9, which slots terminate, at their inner ends, in seats 10 for receiving the trunnions 8 and thereby pivotally connect the two levers 2 and 3. As best shown in Fig. 2, the rope l is of such size as to freely pass between the prongs of the bifurcated head 6 when the levers arc extend-ed in the same horizontal plane.

When the upper rope grip is in the position indicatedby dotted lines in Fig. l and the lower rope grip is in the position indicated by full lines in the same gure, the rope grips may be freely slipped over the rope l, in either direction, by means of the hands and the feet. But when said grips are in reverse positions, and downward pressure is applied to the levers thereof, the rope l will be tightly squeezed between the cooperating lower transverse portions 2 and 3a and between the prongs of the bifurcated heads of the levers 2 and 3, respectively. As is evident, the greater the weight on the levers of the rope grips, the greater will be the grip on the rope 1.

The levers 2 and 3 are made of metal and preferably have their free or outer ends reduced on both sides and wooden cheek pieces 21 and 3b secured to the said reduced portions, by means of rivets.

The above described device is extremely simple, can be applied to or removed from working position very quickly and is thought to be very eflicie'nt for the purposes had in view.

`What l claim is:

A rope grip comprising a pair of levers having bifurcated heads formed with cooperative rope engaging shoulders between the prongs thereof, the prongs of one of said heads being provided each with a lock seat and the prongs of the other of said heads In testimony whereof I uix my signature being provided with oppositely projecting in presence of two Witnesses. lugs for engagement with said lock seats T Y and eoperating therewith to detachably IVER J' Vl ES FAD '5 lock the two levers one with the other for Witnesses:

limited pivotal movements, substantially as BENJ. H. CUNE,

described. M. H. ERSTAD. 

